By Christy Solo & Wayne Lee – Editor and Sports Editor
Eagle Point
The first meeting of the year for the Eagle Point City Council included a lot of swearing, but it was swearing in, not swearing at. Mayor Kathy Sell was sworn in for her second term as mayor as well as two new members of the council, Lena Beach and Kira Zavala, and returning councilor Stacy Fields.
Also taking an oath was new police officer Cyrus Irigoyen, a southern Oregon native and graduate of Crater High School (but don’t hold that against him). In addition, Kevin Walruff was appointed as the new council president. Additionally, Neighborhood Enhancement Commission members Jean Jaeger, Patricia Jensen and Lorin Myers were all reappointed for another term.
Police Chief Jim Hamilton announced that his department was the top law enforcement agency in the state for the second year in a row raising more than $10,000 for Special Olympics in the annual Polar Plunge event.
The month closed out with the Eagle Point High School wrestling team winning two matches in two days, defeating Ashland on a Wednesday and South Medford the following Thursday. The boys’ and girls’ basketball teams also swept Ashland before the Lady Eagles enjoyed a 73-29 romp over Churchill.
Shady Cove
The new year came flooding into Shady Cove, literally. Minor damage was caused to city property not because storm drains were clogged, but because they weren’t designed to handle the sheer volume of water from the January storms.
Goals were the topic of the Jan. 2 council meeting. In January 2024 the city had completed 10 out of 44 goals from 2023. For 2025 Mayor Jon Ball suggested they rethink goals in general saying there is a “difference between goals and things we just need to get done.”
Council decided they’d need to have a longer discussion about goals, and how to set reasonable ones.
The Jan. 9 Planning Commission meeting and the Jan. 18 council meeting tied together. Both focused on proposed changes to the short-term rental portion of the ordinances.
The STR review began back in May 2023 when council asked planning to review the STR ordinance and make suggestions for changes. Planning did as requested, suggesting just a couple of minor changes.
In July 2023 council opted to make their own changes to the STR ordinance, bypassing planning’s recommendations. Council approved their version in October 2023.
Due to errors in noticing the hearings for the changes, the STR ordinance was back to the planning drawing board in December 2024.
In their Jan. 9, 2025 meeting, planning denied council’s changes and went back to their May 2023 version, sending that to council for their Jan. 18 public hearing.
However, the version on the agenda for the Jan. 18 council hearing was their own version from Oct. 2024. The most controversial portion of that version was a restriction by zone as to where new STRs could be – most of the restricted “no more short-term rental” zones were in areas of riverfront property – areas where folks would really like to set up rentals and where tourists would want to rent.
After eight citizens spoke against the zone restrictions and discussion among councilors, council opted for a compromise. They would nix the zone restrictions, but all conditional use permits for STRs will require that all adjoining property owners sign a letter saying they are okay with the CUP applicant’s property being used as an STR.
There were two obituaries in January, Edward Lee Mayfield Jr. and Vera Ellen (Wood) Jones.
Other local and statewide news included Will Brake being appointed as the new executive director of the Southern Oregon Historical Society, a surge of bird flu which began affecting cats, a strike by Providence healthcare workers and the Oregon State Fire Marshal dispelling rumors that California had turned Oregon firefighters away when they went to help with So. Cal’s devastating wildfires.
